The Ties That Bind
by nightchildx
Summary: Tulip was trapped in the Baker household, her mind and body under the control of a vicious child. But her heart belonged to a man who could not love.
1. Into the Woods

The Ties That Bind

She was trapped in both mind and body. But her heart was in the hands of a monster.

Chapter 1. Into the Woods

Always remember there was nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name. -Avett Brothers

It was unseasonably cold that November night. The sky was clear and twinkling brightly with stars, but the dancing lights somehow did not bring warmth to the damp, heavily wooded landscape. The air was humid as always, but the absence of the sun made it tolerable if one were to venture outside. The roads remained lonely that night, as all the townsfolk were home, sleeping like responsible adults who had their shit together and knew how to stop blogging and turn off their damn laptops. But for one unlucky resident, rest would not come so easily that fateful night.

A baleful whine stirred Tulip from a dreamless sleep. She remained still and silent, until something heavy crawled onto her bedroll and laid its full weight on top of her, giving her no room to breathe.

"Uhhng." She moaned from under the sleeping bag, wriggling her way to freedom.

She managed to slip out of the trap and slide onto the tent floor, less than pleased to leave the coziness of her blanket cocoon. She grimaced at the furry culprit, who was now wagging the tip of his tail with no remorse whatsoever.

"I thought I took you out before bed, you heartless monster." She grumbled.

Tulip didn't care for dogs. She didn't hate them, and she didn't fear them, she just didn't like the way they slobber and the way they shed hair on everything you own, or how they poop on your new rug and chew the legs on your great grandmother's antique rocking chair and have no idea what a pain in the ass they are.

But she had been asked to take care of Milo by her older sister, who was out of town for the week with her husband and young daughter in Disneyland. Young as in infant. Too young to appreciate and too young to remember the experience and expense of the happiest place on Earth. Tulip had been the same age the first and only time she had gone, and only had grainy photos of her in the arms of Mickey Mouse himself, red-faced and crying her eyes out, as proof that she was actually ever there.

Tulip slipped on her socks and hiking boots without bothering to tie them, and crawled out of the tent. "Go pee." She commanded Milo, who happily obliged, trotting off into the dark.

As she waited, Tulip glanced at the pop up tent beside her own, wondering if her friend was still asleep. They had been planning this camping trip for months, waiting for the weather to cool down and hurricane season to taper off so they could avoid the real world for a time. Laura had just gone through a breakup with her boyfriend Matt, who had been a tremendous douche to her, so the trip had come at the perfect time to take her mind off her troubles. A few days off the beaten path, hiking, fishing, and getting outrageously high while making s'mores had become an annual tradition since high school.

They set up camp in a small clearing, a couple miles from the road. They had parked behind some bushes, covering the car with leaves for extra camouflage. Their campsite of choice was on private property, and while they had gotten away with trespassing for years, Laura was particularly cautious about staying hidden, terrified of the thought of getting arrested and losing her scholarship.

Laura would be entering grad school in North Carolina in Spring, leaving Tulip without her best friend for the next several months, making this their last hurrah for some time. Tulip yawned, and scratched her head. That was gonna suck.

It was then that she realized that Milo had still not returned from relieving himself. She glanced around. "Milo?" She hissed, trying not to wake Laura. Tulip pulled out her phone and switched on the flashlight app. "Milo!" She called again, a little louder this time. No answer.

"Well, shit."

Tulip headed off into the direction she last saw the golden retriever, calling out repeatedly, dreading her sister's wrath if she returned home without him.

She walked on a little ways, but there was no sign of him until she heard a distant barking coming back from the direction of the campsite. The little bastard was where he was supposed to be all along!

Tulip groaned and turned to head back to her tent when the sound of gunfire stopped her dead in her tracks. Immediately she dropped to the ground, listening as Milo kept barking incessantly. There was another gunshot, and she heard Milo cry out, then go silent. Her hand flew to her mouth to cover any sound that might escape. Fear crept up and sent her heartbeat racing. Could it be inexperienced hunters shooting wildly into the night, mistaking Milo for a deer? Whoever was out there may be closer than she realized, and not have realized their error.

Slowly, she bellycrawled to a large, fallen, tree and crouched beside it, making sure to keep her head as low as possible. The hollowed out log was large enough to keep her hidden in the shadows cast by the moon.

Then she thought of Laura. Had she been hurt? Was she lying low and trying to remain calm just as she was? Her first instinct was to get up and run to the campsite to check her and Milo, but with bullets flying, she could not risk getting shot herself. If they could not see her, the only way to make herself know was to let them hear her.

"HELLO?" She yelled as loud as her trembling voice could manage. "WHO'S OUT THERE?"

The was a moment of silence, followed by the sound of twigs and leaves being trampled by footsteps. The footsteps were coming from the other side of the log, getting closer. But they were slow and deliberate, like a thief sneaking through a house with creaky floorboards.

It did not occur to her until that moment that the danger she was in was in fact, deliberate, and her decision to call attention to herself might be the last thing she would ever do. It took everything in her power to keep herself from shaking and crying as the footsteps walked right past her, stopping not ten yards from where she was hidden. In the moonlight she saw a man, tall with broad shoulders, and dark hair, standing with his back to her, wielding a hunting rifle. He wore a dark, fleece-lined jacket and ill-fitting, worn-out jeans- far from usual hunter's garb.

Because he's no hunter. Tulip thought, more confused than ever. Her instincts were screaming at her to run, but the man was far too close to avoid being seen or heard. Her legs were starting to cramp up from her crouching position, but she willed herself to remain still and silent.

The man knelt and picked something up off the ground. Her phone! And the flashlight was still on! Suddenly, the distinct sound of a branch snapping drew the man's attention. He pocketed Tulip phone and quickly followed the source of the disturbance. As soon as he was out of site, Tulip took her chance and scrambled back to the campsite, running straight to Laura's tent.

The opening was unzipped and the inside was was too dark to see, even with the light of the moon.

"Laura?" Tulip whispered hoarsely, trembling as she inched closer to the dark void inside the tent. She smelled it before she saw it- heavy and metallic- the unmistakable scent of blood.

Don't look, don't look, don't look, don't look, don't look.

Hot, bitter bile rose to her throat and she doubled over, emptying the contents of her stomach. Legs like jelly, she dropped to her knees, choking on her own sobs. "N-no, no, no, Laura!"

He's coming for me. She realized. I have to get to the car. Shaking like a leaf, she slowly rose and stumbled to her tent collapsing to the ground again as she searched for her backpack.

"Keys, c'mon, where are you?" she muttered, rifling through every pocket until the sweet metallic jingle revealed their location.

Tulip stood and bolted out of the tent and to the car, when something heavy cracked her on the head. Blinding pain shot through her skull and she fell face first into the mud, skinning her hands and knees. The trees began to spin around her and her vision blurred. The assailant knelt and and turned her over onto her back to face him. Shadows flickered across his face and she finally recognized him.

"This is on you, Tulip. YOU made me do this." he spat, venomously "YOU told her to leave me. Now you have to die too."

She was paralyzed, her terror so strong that she could not will herself to move, to speak, to scream.

Matt.

Her heart pounded in her chest, through the ringing in her ears she heard the distinct sound of a gun cocking. Matt raised the rifle, leveling the barrel directly at Tulip's heart and pulled the trigger.

Only silence ensued. Both parties locked eyes, unbearably tense, as if waiting for the other to make a move. Instinctively Tulip raised her leg and kicked Matt in the knee as hard as she could, knocking him to the ground. Keys still clutched in her hand, Tulip scrambled to her feet and and ran for the road, though it would be over a mile before she would reach it. She was fast, having run track in high school and the first two years of University, but she had grown light-headed, her lungs screaming for rest, her legs now leaden and sluggish. She would never make it to the car without Matt catching up, she realized, and would have to hide. She could hear Matt calling after her, and she knew she couldn't take much more. She sharply turned left, straining her eyes through the dark for a place to conceal her presence. Frantic, she misjudged the distance of the nearest tree and caught a root with her right foot, throwing her to the ground again and splitting her head open on a rock.

The dark washed over her, and soon there was nothing. No thought, no fear, no pain.

Only dark

.

XxXxXxX

Consciousness returned to her slowly, her mind heavy and enveloped in a dense fog. Her eyes fluttered open, the her surroundings falling into focus like a camera lense.

This room… where am I?

Her limbs were terribly stiff as she sat up, wincing as a sharp pain shot through her temples. The bed she had been lying in was soft and warm, with a patterned quilt draped over her legs. The window on the opposite side of the room was covered with thin white curtains, but the light coming through the folds told her it was daytime. The room was small, and over crowded with antique furniture lining the walls

Using the side table as leverage, she pulled herself to her feet and hobbled to the door. To her great relief, she found it unlocked.

The adjoining room was a mess. Boxes and trash strewn everywhere, chairs scattered on their sides and cobwebs on every surface.

"What in the hell do you think you're doing out of bed?"

Tulip gasped and spun about. In the doorway to her left her stood a woman, with the most startling face. Her skin was waxen and wrinkled, with hollow cheeks, her thin lips dry and cracked.

Tulip opened her mouth to speak but was so parched she could only cough in response.

"There, there. You've had a hard time, haven't you? You were in pretty rough shape when we found you out by the swamp."

"The swamp…" Tulip repeated. The memories began to surface, flashes of blood and pain coming back to her. "Who...who are you?"

The woman gave an unnaturally large, yellowing smile.

"Don't you know? You're home."

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	2. Trapped

**The Ties That Bind**

 _She was trapped in both mind and body. But her heart was in the hands of a monster._

 **Chapter 2. Trapped**

"I don't understand, where is this place? Why am I not in the hospital? Where is-" Tulip stopped, thinking of her assailant and his terrible wrath. "Oh my God, is he still out there? Have you called the police? Please, you have to help me!"

The woman reached out to her and placed her hands on Tulip's shoulders. "Now, now, don't you worry about that. He was a bad boy, and needed to be put in his place. Gave my Jack quite a hard time, he did."

"Ma'am, please-"

"You'll call me Mama." she corrected.

Tears began to well up in her eyes. "But Laura's gone! She's gone and I have to find her-"

Mama drew back her hand and struck Tulip across the face, hard. "Quit your wailing, little girl! You don't need her anymore! You have us now, _we_ are all you'll ever need in this life, so pull yourself together!"

Tulip was stunned, her cheek now hot and stinging. Who the hell was this woman? Her savior or her captor? She meant to keep her there, she realized, like some backwoods horror movie psycho. Her eyes widened in fear at the thought of being the prisoner of a woman who had no qualms in hitting her.

"I...I'm so sorry...Mama." She said breathlessly.

The quick apology clearly pleased her, and she place a cool hand on Tulip's cheek in an attempt to soothe it. "You must be hungry. You've been asleep for quite a while. Two whole days in fact."

"I'd really like some water. I'm practically spitting cotton over here."

Mama smiled. "I'll get you a glass. Go back to your room and lie down."

"Can't I come with you?"

Mama's eyes flashed in anger, and Tulip regretted asking. "I said _git_ back in your room!" she hissed.

 _Oh shit, shut up Tulip!_

Tulip stumbled back into the little room, keen to avoid getting hit again. "Yes Mama, I'll go."

Once she was back under the covers, Mama turned and left through the other door and shut it. Tulip listened carefully as she heard the door lock and Mama's footsteps fade away.

A shadow suddenly moved over the room and Tulip sat up with a start. On the other side of the window was a small figure, shrouded by the flimsy curtains and still as stone. Tulip pulled away the bed sheets and walked slowly to the window. She lingered for a moment, steeling herself for what may watching her from the other side. With both hands, she threw open the curtains, only to find that there was nothing there.

She let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding in. The sound of footsteps alerted her to Mama's return and she quickly returned to bed. Mama entered the little bedroom, glass of water in hand.

"Thank you." she said, genuinely grateful not to die of dehydration. Tulip accepted the glass and greedily gulped down the contents. Once empty, she returned it to Mama.

"Is there someone else here? I thought I saw someone at the window."

"There's the rest of the family, of course. Jack and Mia, and my boy Lucas. Eveline is especially excited to have a new sister."

Tulip swallowed. Four others. Were they all as _temperamental_ as Mama? Would they be worse? The uncertainty made her queasy. "When will I meet them?"

"Oh you'll meet everyone at suppertime."

At least they intended to feed her. "Could I clean up first? If I've been here this long, then I must look like a bum. Or at least smell like one." Tulip looked up at Mama pleadingly. "I'd hate to make a bad first impression."

 _Kiss her ass. Kiss her ass every chance you get if you want to earn their trust._

Evidently, the sad puppy look was successful, and Mama agreed to take her to the bathroom to wash up. Following her closely, Tulip tried to take in everything she could on their way to the bathroom, hoping to find a means of escape. Until she knew exactly where she was going, there was no point in running.

The bathroom was sizeable, but absolutely filthy. The once white tiles were dingy and badly cracked, and the bathtub was grimey and filled with a dark, foul-smelling substance Tulip could not identify.

"Give me your clothes." Mama commanded.

Tulip hesitantly peeled off her clothes and gave them to Mama. "Don't take too long," she said. "Supper will be ready soon and I ain't got time to stand around all day and wait for you."

Tulip only nodded in agreement. Mama turned on the water for her, so she stepped under the shower head and began to scrub up. She had not been given any soap or shampoo, but the water was warm, and watching the filth slide off her body and rinse down the drain soothed her nerves.

Mama had said Matt needed to be "put in his place". Did that mean he was being held somewhere in the house as well? Did they know what he had done to her? To Laura? Was Laura's body still out there?

Tulip then felt Mama's eyes boring into the back of her skull. She turned to her, hesitantly. **"Is something wrong?"**

Mama just shook her head in disgust. "I can't see how you can stand to ruin your body like that, pretty girl like you."

Tulip was stunned at first, before she realized she must have been referring to her many tattoos. "Oh, you uh, you don't like flowers?" she said half-jokingly.

"Well of course i like flowers you idiot! That's enough now, you're plenty clean, Miss Priss."

Tulip dried off with a ratty towel and followed Mama back to her room where she quickly changed back into her clothes. Apparently laundry was out of the question, and she dare not ask for another favor, lest she earn another well-placed slap.

"Now you wait here. I'll come fetch you when supper is ready." Mama said, turning to leave. This time, she shut the door to Tulip's room and locked it behind her.

Who knew how long that would even be? The light in the window had grown much darker in the few minutes she had been in the shower. How long had it been since Matt attacked her and Laura? Had anyone noticed they were missing yet, or started looking for them, she wondered.

Several minutes passed as her mind endlessly churned at all the possible fates she could endure. Mama clearly had no intention of letting her leave, and who knew what the others were like. She needed a plan, she decided. A plan, an escape route, and a weapon.

 _Or turn something into a weapon._ _Scissors, a letter opener, a sharpened toothbrush, even something heavy would do._

 **She pulled the cord of the bedside lamp, which lit up but flickered badly, nearing the end of its life. Tulip could tell this little room was once a cozy haven, the antique furniture worn out by decades of use, and well-loved rocking chair indicating an older occupant, likely a grandmother.**

Knitting needles! All grandmas knit, right? A needle would be easy to hide and were already pretty stabby to begin with. Tulip began rifling through any drawer and cabinet that was not locked, only to be disappointed. She _could_ use the clothes iron as a blunt instrument, but that was too clunky to hide, and she preferred a stealthier approach.

"Dammit, Grandma, so fucking _useless_!" Tulip groaned, and gracelessly flopped down on the bed.

Then, when the room was deathly silent, somebody _giggled_. Tulip bolted upright, gasping. Once again, there was no one there. She had definitely heard it- the distinct sound of a child's laughter. Someone or _something_ had laughed right in her ear, there was no mistaking it. A terrible thought sent a shiver down her spine. What if she wasn't alone in the room after all? What if someone was... under the bed?

 _Nope, no, you stop that shit. Stop scaring yourself, you need to stay focused. Now Breathe._

She lay sprawled on her back and stared at the ceiling. Minutes ticked by and her eyes grew heavy. Maybe she had a concussion. Maybe she would fall asleep and never wake up , and then she wouldn't have to deal with this anymore.

"Stop being lazy." she whispered aloud.

Before she knew it, the sun had set and the crickets outside had begun to sing.

She started to followed Mama, but paid no attention to her go on and on about how _special_ tonight's dinner would be, and how excited everyone was to meet her.

Tulip tried to memorize the layout of the house. It was truly enormous, and was once a beautiful place, but nearly every corner was painted in a thick, black mold, and everything was in a state of severe disrepair. Mama led her to a large, metal door that was completely out of place with the rest of the house. It looked like belonged in a bank vault instead of someone's home

.

The other side was also jarringly different from the grand hall. While it still had the grimey, derelict qualities, it was far more familial and suburban. Finally they arrived in the kitchen, where three others were waiting on them.

Before her was a scene that vividly reminded her of _The Texas Chainsaw Massacre_. There was a table crowded with large dishes piled high with steaming lumps of slimy, gray flesh. The sight was certainly sickening, but the _smell_ was the true horror here. The stench of rot and mold filled her nostrils as she inched further into the kitchen, wishing she could disappear into the woodwork.

"You'll sit down there." Mama said pointing a wooden spoon at the far end of the table.

Tulip didn't move. She could only stand there with her arms wrapped around herself, digging her nails into her her skin.

"Now!" Mama hissed, and whacked Tulip on the behind with the spoon.

Tulip whimpered in pain, and scurried to her assigned chair, her backside smarting as she reluctantly sat. There was an older man, balding, and bespectacled sitting at the head of the table, his skin the same sallow gray color as Mama. To his left was a hooded man and a young, dark haired girl, about Tulip's age.

Across from her, the older man held his arms out to Tulip in greeting. "Welcome to the family, Tulip." he said in a heavy southern drawl. "We've been wonderin' when you'd come down to meet us."

"You know my name?" Tulip said, trying not to gag at the smell of the vile feast of innards.

"When Lucas here found you with your head all busted up, we took the liberty of looking through your things. Thought it might be a good way to get to know you ahead of time." Daddy said gesturing to the hooded man beside him . "There was quite a bit of candy in that bag of yours."

Tulip peered at the face of the hooded man. A new wave of horror washed up her spine, rendering her motionless as she finally recognized his cold, blue eyes.

"...Lucas Baker?"

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